Guide to becoming an ophthalmic medical assistant or ophthalmic technician. It’s long been said that each person only has one set of eyes. In an effort to ensure that their eyes do indeed last a lifetime most people make a yearly trek to their ophthalmologist to have their eyesight tested.

Working in an office like this is an exciting way to earn a living. If you aren’t patient enough to attend school the required number of years to become an ophthalmologist, you may want to consider being an ophthalmic medical assistant. A person holding this position is an integral part of the eye care equation.

Becoming An Ophthalmic Technician

In order to become an ophthalmic medical assistant a person must first study to become a medical assistant. In addition, they need specific training that is related to eye health. This varies depending on state, but the additional educational requirements may take as little as six months to one year.

Upon completion of all required schoolwork, the individual is then able to write an exam that is administered by the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology. It should be noted that the exam, which results in certification, isn’t mandatory, and a person can work as an assistant to an ophthalmologist with or without certification.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

After completing the necessary coursework they can then secure a position in an eye care environment. The responsibilities often delegated to an ophthalmic technician include taking the history of the patient when they first arrive at the office, perform the first series of tests before the actual examination as well as administer any eye drops or creams that the doctor prescribes or that are necessary for the examination. The assistant may also be responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the equipment that the doctor uses during his or her examinations.

Many assistants who work in this type of environment will also find themselves taking on administrative duties including booking appointments, contacting patients for recall examinations and ordering supplies including contact lenses. The ophthalmic medical assistant is often the first person the patient sees when they enter the office.

Job Opportunities and Salary

The majority of jobs in this field are found in the offices of ophthalmologists. In addition some people find employment in nursing homes where eye care exams are taken care of on site. Some public clinics now offer free eye examinations to children, and a trained assistant would be needed in these settings too.

Earnings are very promising for anyone considering this as a career route. Starting wages generally average about $11 per hour, with increases up to the $14 per hour range. Many people who begin their careers as an ophthalmic medical assistant or ophthalmic technician actually decide to become an ophthalmic technologist. A technologist performs many of the same duties as an assistant but is also trained to use x-ray, ultrasound and photographic equipment that are used in eye care.

Are you aiming to find employment in the allied healthcare service without the long years of technical training? Have you heard that the medical assistant salary can be quite comfortable?

The medical assistant profile

Medical assistant jobs do not do the same tasks as medical professionals in spite the position. In fact, the most medical task they usually perform is draw blood from a patient, if he was trained to do this. Otherwise, it’s just taking vital signs and prepping patients for their examinations.

Of course, the responsibilities may vary depending on the specialization of the clinic or physician you work for. Your tasks as medical assistant are divided into two categories: the clerical or administrative functions and the clinical functions.

The simplest clerical tasks include scheduling appointments, organizing patient records and files, and answering office phones. The more complex administrative functions will be maintaining medical records, insurance billing and coding, which require special knowledge and skills. Bigger offices may have separate personnel to handle these tasks.

If you also handle clinical functions, these usually involving taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examinations, especially if these include special tests, extracting blood (if you are also a certified phlebotomist) and administering medication if these are needed.

If you’re in a hurry to begin working, you can opt for a medical assistant diploma or certificate program that can be completed between nine months to one year. The course work is a combination of administrative as well as patient care and medical skills.

Typically it includes human anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, first aid, clinical and diagnostic procedures, laboratory techniques, pharmacology and medication administration, on one hand, and office practices, computer applications, record-keeping and accounting, medical billing and insurance coding, medical laws and ethics and patient relations on the other.

Aside from classroom instructions or course modules, if you were taking up any online medical assistant programs, you are required to undergo internship for actual hands-on experience. This may be done in a hospital, clinic or other medical facility where you get to put into practice all that you learned in class to become a confident professional. The pay

While certification after graduating from any medical assisting schools is not a requirement before you can start working, it definitely increases your chances not only for employment but also in earning a higher medical assistant salary. Consider that at entry level, the salary range is from $19,798 to $31,776.

Where you fall under will depend on factors such as workplace, location (California rates are different from the wages in Florida), and education, aside from actual duties and responsibilities. Presently, the national pay range for medical assistants is at $22,835 to $31,215 and the median hourly rate is $10.80 to $14.52.

A degree makes a difference

How can you position yourself to receive a higher end of the pay scale even with less than a year of experience? Take the more intensive medical assistant training and earn an associate degree. That means two years of schooling, but the extra time will be well worth it.

Investing a little longer on your education will equip you with additional skills, give you more time for internship, and ultimately gain you leverage for higher wages.

Yes, your medical assistant salary can actually improve by more than $10,000 if you held an associate degree in medical assisting as opposed to just completing a diploma course. Become certified and you boost your pay even more. The certified medical assistant salary could mean a couple of thousand more.

The longer training will result to more skills and added certification (phlebotomy, ECG technology, CPR certification) that will raise your market value in the work place. And when your employer realizes how much you can be an asset in the organization, then you can be certain your medical assistant salary is not going to be at the lower end of the scale.

Would you want to put your office skills to use in a medical or health care setting? Then you’ll probably make a good medical office assistant. In the allied health care industry, there are just as many in demand jobs that won’t require you to handle patients other than make them feel comfortable when they come in for an appointment and take care of their paperwork after. Yet you are an essential part of the health team because someone has to take charge of the office work.

The Medical Office Assistant Job Description

Physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, dentists and medical clinics have most need for the services of a medical office assistant or medical administrative assistant. Medical assisting functions vary depending on the size of your workplace.

The smaller the workplace, the more versatile you are required to be meaning you may be taking on clinical tasks aside from handling administrative or clerical chores. You can learn on the job or get formal training. Some start out as a straight medical office assistant performing front office work, but eventually find the back office work just as interesting and train for that as well.

An education, even a short-term course, will be to your advantage because many medical assistant programs teach more than just office work. You will have an overview of the medical and health care industry, including medical terminology and clinical tasks such as taking vital signs or even using the electrocardiograph (EKG), one of the simplest equipment used in diagnosis.

The kind of work required of you will determine your salary, as well as the size of your organization and location. But you can expect a medical office assistant salary range of $19,000 to $24,000 with less than a year of experience. The more skills you have, the better your chances at advancement as a medical office assistant, including becoming an office manager in the future.

Requirement For Medical Office Assistant Jobs

Having general office skills is the most essential for a medical office assistant. You can take up these courses, along with keyboarding or computer classes, and some science subjects like health, biology, physiology and anatomy as early as high school. Your position demands that you have above average skills in typing, computer work, organizing and filing because these are your primary tasks. You may also be required to do medical transcription or transfer medical charts to digital files. Bookkeeping skills are also an advantage.

You may or may not do reception work, but it is a plus if you have good communication skills. A doctor’s appointment can often be a stressful time for patients so it will be a big help to make them feel at ease before they begin their consultations.

What Training Will You Need?

Decide if you will pursue a certificate program, which can be completed between nine to 12 months, or an associate degree program that runs for two years. The former will teach you the basics about medical assisting, especially the clerical and administrative work.

You will learn office practices, transcription, insurance processing, record keeping and even medical billing and coding, patient relations, medical law and ethics. The associate program will include laboratory techniques, clinical and diagnostic procedures, pharmaceutical principles, medication administration, and first aid. Get as much experience during your internship or externship, which should give you an actual feel for the job.

Where To Get Your Degree?

You have a choice from vocational or technical schools, community colleges or colleges and universities to get your training. You may also opt for traditional classroom instruction or take online medical assistant programs. As long as they are accredited medical assistant schools and programs, you are assured of standard quality training. Accrediting bodies are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.

Should You Become Certified?

Though not necessarily a requirement for employment, you have an edge over the competition if you pass the national medical office assistant certification exam and become a certified medical assistant.

A medical office assistant job may start out as routine but over time and with enough experience, you may discover even bigger career opportunities including becoming a medical professional yourself.

Of the medical assistant schools in California, Cabrillo College offers a medical assistant program that grants a certificate of achievement, if you want the abbreviated version, or an associate science degree to include general education subjects. The training is extensive and by graduation, students should have more than just basic skills in medical assisting but should be adept at phlebotomy, EKG and other lab testing aside from administrative skills. Testing for the national certification exam is the ultimate goal. This is a CAAHEP accredited program. A good balance between theory and laboratory sessions harnesses the skills and competence of each student enrolled at the Career Care Institute. Instructional sessions are immediately put into practice in laboratory classrooms. After completion of the coursework, a 160-hour externship must also be completed to finally qualify for national certification testing. The school is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education and the Bureau for Postsecondary Education.

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Brightwood College offers accelerated programs that combine flexible schedules and professional instruction to create a rewarding learning experience for individuals focused on gaining the skills for specific careers. Brightwood College is owned and operated by Education Corporation of America.

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American Career College (ACC) offers hands-on training that will prepare students for careers in the healthcare industry at three campuses in Los Angeles, Ontario, and Orange County, California. ACC's programs combine classroom lectures and hands-on training to prepare students for a Diploma or Associate of Occupational Science degree.

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Choosing a school and a new career path can be a very overwhelming process. Here at NCC we understand the importance of education, and that the healthcare industry is in constant need of trained professionals. Our short term allied health programs will give you the skills and the knowledge to become a part of the exciting healthcare field.
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For medical assistant schools in Oregon, there is the Carrington College with its medical assisting programs that award a certificate after completion or an associate in applied science degree. Three educational areas are given focus in Carrington: clinical, administrative and externship. This helps produce well-rounded and competent graduates eligible to sit for the national certification exam and qualify for entry-level positions with more than adequate medical assisting skills. It’s a six quarter certificate program in Central Oregon Community College accredited by the American Association of Medical Assistants. While certification is not mandatory nor a requirement to be employed, the credential Certified Medical Assistant increases value of applicant and validates his clinical and administrative skills. Becoming qualified to sit for national certification exam for medical assistants is the goal of most colleges. Lane Community College also has its medical office assistant program. It has a two-year associate program and a one year certificate of completion program. Unpaid externship on rotation in various clinical facilities is part of the training program.

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Congratulations! Your interest in Stevens-Henager College is an important first step toward changing your life. A career-focused degree is the key to a new career with a potentially higher income, better benefits, and more satisfaction.

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Since 1977, Keiser University has provided quality student-centered, career-focused education. Keiser University Online offers degree programs online to prepare students for in-demand professions. Degrees are offered with a curriculum that is in pace with technology and workforce demand trends in business, criminal justice, health care, information technology and more. Our “one-class-at-a-time” approach allows busy students to focus on their education and balance the demands of work and family.

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